Automatic stamping machine



1931- P. s. PITTENGER ET AL 1,832,501

AUTOMATIC STAMPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 17, 1931 INVENTORS 7 'tm Mr6d ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT" op'nycr;

PAUL s. PITTRNGRR, or PHILADELPHI PENNSYLV NIA, AND EDW RD J. RICHARDS, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNORS TO sHARP & DOHME, INCORPORATED, or

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND AUTOMATIC STAMPING MACHINE Application as January 17, 1931. Serial No. 509,418.

This invention relates to automatic stamping devlces for use on labeller machines of the type in which a bottle or other container 7 clamped or otherwise positively held in position is moved along a continuous conveyor with a stop-start motion. At the various stationsat which the container stops asrit is moved along by the conveyor diflerent operv ations are performed; The operations performed on different machines vary. As an example of the operations performed by the usual labeller machine of this type we may mention applying glue to the bottle or other container at one station, bringing the label in contact with the glued bottle at another station and wiping the label on to the bottle at a third station. Other operations may be included and the labelling operations may be accomplished on the same continuous conveyor with the filling and capping operations, etc. 7

The automatic stamping device of thls 1nvention is operated in connection with such a labeller machine and in such a way that the label, after it is on the conta1ner, 1s stamped with a number or letter or other distinctive mark. The stamping operation may take place before or after the operation 1n which the label is wiped on to the bottle. The machine is of particular value 1n industries such as the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries in which it is desirable to indicate on each bottle or other container the particular lot from which each bottle 1s filled or to indicate the operators who have handled the material which goes into each bottle, etc. If, for example, an individual lot contains 500 quarts or pounds of liquor or powder, etc. to be filled into'the container and each bottle is to hold one quart or pound, each of the 500 bottles used to contain this one lot will be givena descriptive lot number. After'this lot has been bottled a-nother l'ot will be bottled and the number on the label will be changed. I I

It has been customary inthepast either to print thelot number on the label or to stamp the labels by hand to indicate the'lot from which the container is filled. The automatic numbering device of this invention not only substitutes a machine operation for the usual operation, but the invention effects a saving in labels. A small percentage of labels are destroyed by the labelling machines, and, f'urther,'it is ordinarily impossible to predet'ermine the exact number of containers required to hold one lot of material; it is therefore impossible to predetermine exactly how many labels will be needed for labelling the bottles filled from any one lot. It is customary, according to the present practice, to number a larger quantity of the labels than it is expected will be used in order that there may be no shortage. The unused labels are marked with a number indicating one special lot and cannot be used for another lot and are therefore wasted. If the labels are stamped by hand after they have been taken from-the machine,confusi0n may arise as to just what bottles belong to each lot. More important, however, is the fact that the han operation is more expensive than the machine operation. V g Y The stamping device of this invention is a simple device which may be attached to any labeller machine of the type described. It is usually actuated from the cam-motion part of the labeller machine. The movement of the stamping deviceis'so synchronized with the stop-start motion of the 0011- veyor that when a bottle stops opposite the device, the reciprocating arm which carries the stamp is near the end of the forward stroke and on completionof the forward stroke the desired number is stamped on the bottle. The return stroke is commenced before the bottle is again set in motion and the stamp ismoved out of'contact'with the bottle before it moves on to the next stop.

Any desired designation may be put on the stamp, such as a number or letterv or other distinguising character, and this designation may be changed as often as desirable. Many thousands of bottles may be stamped with the same mark or the stamp may be changed after stamping each few bottles,

The stamp is advantageously a rubber stamp and automatic inking means is pro vided to keep fresh ink on the stamp. This inking means applies ink to the stamp on the backward stroke of the arm which carries the stamp.

The stamp may be made up of individual types which may be taken out and reset at intervals or automatic means may be provided for changing the stamp when desired. The stamp maybe operated as a counting means, for example, and the number applied by the stamp may be advanced each time the stamp comes in contact with a bottle or suitable means may be provided for advancing the counting machine at any desired interval.

The reciprocating arm to which the stamp is affixed, or in which it is embedded, is actuated by suitable lever arms or other means from a cam shaft which is attached to the cam-motion part of the labeller machine. The stamp is advantageously mounted on a rubber cushion and a compression spring is advantageously provided to press the lever arm against the bottle. Other resilient means may be employed for this purpose.

The accompanying drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is intended and is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto:

The drawing shows a continuous conveyor 1 for carrying the bottles 2 thru the labelling machine. Rubber pads 3 clamp down on to the top of the bottle and hold it firmly in position as it passes thru the labeller machine. The pads 3 are placed at intervals, the space between the pads being the same as the distance between stations along the conveyor. The bottle is moved thru the labeller machine on the conveyor by a stop-start motion which causes it to stop at each station, each bottle stopping at each station for the same length of time, and although it is not necessary that a labelling operation be per formed at each station, these operations are carried on at a plurality of stations simultaneously and as each individual bottle stops at the Various stations in succession, the operations are carried on successively so that when the bottle is discharged from the end of the conveyor it has been properly labelled. The stamping device of this invention applies a number or other distinguishing mark to each of the bottles as they stop at one of the stations so that the bottles discharged from a labeller equipped with one of these stamping devices is not only properly labelled but is also marked.

The stamp 4- is embedded in the hard rubber or wooden piece 5. This is securely aflixed to the reciprocating arm 6 which slides in a slot in the head piece 7. This slot is preferably substantially perpendiculalr to the surface to which the number is to be applied and moves perpendicularly to the general direction of the movement of the bottle along the conveyor.

The reciprocating arm 6 is actuated by the cam shaft 8. The movement of the cam shaft causes the lever 9 to describe an arc in a horizontal plane. This cam shaft is a part of the laheller machine or is actuated by the cam-motion part of the machine. The lever 9 with A. as a center describes the arc BC. The lever 9 transmits motion to the link 10 which with its respective adjustments and the compression spring 11 causes the piece 12 to operate pendulum fashion on the. shoulder screw 13. This shoulder screw is stationary, being affixed to the upright 1- 1- which supports the head piece 7. he pendulum-like movement of the piece 12 in turn operates the link 15; this in turn, thru the compression spring 18 and the piece 17 imparts a ciprocal motion to the arm 6. The movement of the link 10 is imparted to the piece 12 thru a stud 18 fastened on the block 19, the stud 155 being free to move in the slot 20 in the here 12 and being held in position by the nut 21 which is threaded on to the stud 18.

The motion of the cam shaft is reciprocal. \Vhen the lever 9 is moved into the position A the low-er portion of the piece 12 moved forward and the upper portion is moved backward and the reciprocating arm (3 is thenat the end of the backward stroke. When in this position the bottles on the conveyor are moving from one station to the next. The motion of the cam shaft is then reversed and the reciprocating arin start. forward. The movement synchronized that immediately before the lever 5) assumes the position A the bottle which is to be marked has become stationar \Vhen the lever 9 assumes the position AC the eciprocating arm has reached the end of its forward stroke. The stamp is then pro d firmly against the bottle by the coinpi'esion spring 16. The combined eli 'ect of the com pression spring, the rubber type and the rrh ber cushion under the type-holder in which the stamp is embedded prevents breakage of the bottle. The stop 22 prevents the l'iottle from being moved sideways on the conveyor.

After the stamp contacts with the label and as it moves backward, the inking pad 2; swivels about the point 24 and it is brought into contact with the stamp as it reaches the end of its backward stroke and fresheus the ink on the stamp.

Variations in the operating mechanism in av be provided as required. I

We claim:

1. In combination with a labeller machine of the type comprising a continuous convevor with means for holding a container on the conveyor and for imparting a stop-start motion to the conveyor, a stamp aflixed to a reciprocating arm and means actuated by the means which imparts motion to the conveyor to move the stamp in and out of contact with a container carried by the conveyor.

2. In combination with a labeller machine of the type comprising a continuous conveyor with means for holding a container on the conveyor and for imparting a stop-start motion to the conveyor, a reciprocating arm with a stamp afiixed thereto and means actuated by the same mechanism which actuates the conveyor for imparting to the reciprocating arm a motion perpendicular to the movement of the conveyor and so synchronized with the movement of the conveyor that the stamp is brought into contact with a contalner conveyed by the conveyor at one of the stations along the conveyor.

3. In combination with a labeller machine of the type comprising a continuous conveyor with means for holding a container on the conveyor and for imparting a stop-start motlon to the conveyor, a reciprocating arm with a stamp affixed thereto, means actuated by the same mechanism which actuates the conveyor for imparting to the reciprocating arm a motion perpendicular to the movement of the conveyor and so synchronized with the movement of the conveyor that the stamp is brought into contact with a container conveyed by the conveyor at one of the stations along the conveyor, and an inking pad for inking the stamp when it is out of contact with the container.

l. In combination with a labeller machine of the type comprising a continuous conveyor with means for holding a container on the conveyor and for imparting a stop-start motion to the conveyor, a reciprocating arm with a stamp affixed thereto, adapted to move in a plane perpendicular to the motion of the conveyor, mechanism actuated by the cam-motion part of the labeller machine for.

imparting to the reciprocating arm a motion which causes the stamp to move forward into contact with a container on the machine at one of the stations along the conveyor and resilient means adapted to apply pressure to the reciprocating arm when in contact with the container.

5. In combination with a labeller machine of the type comprising a continuous conveyor with means for holding a container on the i conveyor and for imparting a stop-start motion to the conveyor, a reciprocating arm with a stamp affixed thereto, mechanism actuated by the cam-motion part of the labeller machine for imparting to the reciprocating arm a motion which causes the stamp to move forward into contact with a container on the machine atone of the stations along the conveyor and for moving the stamp backward out of such contact, and means for inking the stamp at the end of the backward stroke.

6. In combination with a labeller machine of the type comprising a continuous conveyor with means for holding a container on the conveyor and for imparting a stop-start motion to the conveyor, a reciprocating arm located at one of the stations along the conveyor, a stamp afiixed thereto, means for moving the arm backward and forward in such a way that at the end of the forward stroke it contacts with a bottle on the conveyor, and resilient means for applying pressure thereto.

7. In combination with a labeller machine of the type comprising a continuous conveyor with means for holding a container on the conveyor and for imparting a stop-start motion to the conveyor, a reciprocating arm located at one of those stations along the conveyor at which the means for holding a container comes to rest at the end of each of the stop-start movements of the conveyor, a stamp affixed to the forward end of the reiprocating arm in such a way that it contacts with the container on the conveyor at the end of the forward stroke of the reciprocating arm, a compression spring connected with the reciprocating arm, means actuated by the cam-motion part of the labeller machine which moves the reciprocating arm forward and applies pressure thereto thru the medium of the compression spring and which also moves the reciprocating arm in the reverse direction, the movement of the reciprocating arm being so synchronized with the movement of the conveyor of the labeller machine that the reciprocating arm reaches the forward end of its stroke immediately after each pause in the stop-start movement of the belt.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

' PAUL S. PITTENGER.

EDWARD J. RICHARDS. 

